


The Owl

by welkinalauda (iiii)



Series: Salvaged from Tumblr [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen, spn 11x23 Alpha and Omega
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 09:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19248685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiii/pseuds/welkinalauda
Summary: “You and I both know you’re not going to pull the trigger.”She pulled the trigger, sending a bullet past Sam’s left ear and into the pillar behind him.





	1. Chapter 1

“You and I both know you’re not going to pull the trigger.”

She pulled the trigger, sending a bullet past Sam’s left ear and into the pillar behind him.  Sam ducked.  She skittered back two steps on her ridiculous heels, getting herself out of arm’s reach while Sam was still cowering from the gunshot.

In Sam’s defense, he’d had a very trying day.

“Now, if you’d be so kind as to back up a bit, and let me finish…?”

Sam backed.

“Thank you.   My condolences on the loss of your brother,” she said, sounding like she meant it.   

“You want move this along, lady?  My brother is dead and you just sent my best friend out into the cornfield.”

“It’s not ‘lady,’ it’s Toni.”

“Whatever, lady.”

“Right.  The Elders wish to offer you initiation into the Men of Letters, and the course of training that goes with it.  I’m here to escort you to London so you can get started.”

“What?”

“As I said.  The old men are tired of you barging around like a bull in a china shop.  They want to teach you how to handle the crockery properly so maybe you won’t break so many things.”

Sam stared at her, his mouth working silently.  After a moment, he slid into one of the chairs behind him, gaze unfocused on the map table.  Toni lowered her gun.

“What if I won’t go?”

“Then they’ll think of something else.  But you should know I’ve changed the locks on this place.  You have less than an hour before you’ll be compelled to leave.”

That got Sam back on his feet.  She lifted the gun again.  

“What are you talking about?” Sam shouted.

“If you want to know what I did, and how to reverse it, come to London.”  When Sam did not immediately respond, she went on, “Tell you what.  I’ll be waiting at the airport in Kearney until six o’clock.  If you want to take up the offer to study with us, join me there.  But either way, you’d better pack quickly.”

Keeping the gun pointed at Sam, not turning her back, she circled round the other side of the map table to the stairs, then up and out and away.  

*****

The next day, a battered red truck was found in the passenger lot at Kearney Regional, doors unlocked, keys on the seat with a note reading, ‘FREE TO A GOOD HOME.’


	2. Two weeks later

Castiel stands unseen at the back of a half-full lecture hall.  

Below, Sam Winchester asks a question about the effective penumbra of a banishing spell.  The lecturer’s eyes light up.  He replies at length - then adds, that’s only the part of the answer that’s relevant to this syllabus, so interested parties should meet round the pub at six, and we’ll talk the rest of it through.  Sam smiles.  The lecture continues.

“Let him be,” Lucifer says, startling Castiel.

“I have to tell him - “

“Look at him.  He’s back where he always wanted to be.  Where he was meant to be, if we hadn’t spoiled it.  You show up now, play annunciating angel, it’ll just ruin everything for him.  Again.  Let him be.”

Lucifer vanishes.

Castiel stays for the rest of class, watching Sam make notes.  When the lecture ends, other students form a knot around Sam, asking about the class material, about whether he’ll be at the pub that night, whether he’s coming along to the movies that weekend.  They move toward the nearest coffee shop in a chattering mass with Sam at the center.

When the hall has cleared, Castiel is left, unsure.  At length he sighs.  Sam hasn’t called, Castiel reflects.  When Sam asks, Castiel will tell all.  Until then, yes, Castiel will let him be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castiel doesn't know Sam hasn't called because Sam's phone was tampered with.  
> The forces of Hell like to mess with people's phones.
> 
> When I wrote this, I was thinking s12 should rhyme with s6 - Sam gets the college life he used to wish for, like Dean got the domestic life he used to wish for with Lisa and Ben. Castiel shows up to rescue Sam (as he did Dean), and gets talked out of it by Sam's personal demon (instead of Dean's).


End file.
